JP5036194B2 - Power supply for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply device for a vehicle that cools a battery housed in a battery case with air blown to a blower duct and also cools electronic components with air of a blower duct that cools the battery.

  An electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid car that is driven by both an internal combustion engine and a motor is a power supply device in which a large number of unit cells are connected and housed in a battery case as a power source for supplying power to the driving motor. Is used.

  A power supply device used for this type of application has a high output voltage in order to supply power to a high-power motor. Therefore, a large number of batteries are connected in series and stored in a battery case. For example, a power supply device installed in a hybrid car currently on the market has hundreds of batteries connected in series to increase the output voltage to several hundred volts. In this assembled battery, 5 to 6 unit cells are connected in series to form a battery module, and a large number of battery modules are housed in a battery case.

  An assembled battery mounted on an electric vehicle such as a hybrid car discharges a large current when the vehicle suddenly accelerates, accelerates the motor, and is charged with a large current by a regenerative brake when decelerating or going down a hill. . For this reason, a battery becomes very high temperature. In addition, since the battery is used in a hot environment in summer, the battery temperature becomes even higher. Therefore, it is important for a power supply device that houses a large number of batteries in a battery case to efficiently and uniformly cool each of the built-in batteries. Various adverse effects occur when there is a temperature difference between the batteries to be cooled. For example, a battery is likely to deteriorate as the temperature rises, and the actual charge capacity that can be fully charged decreases as the temperature deteriorates. When batteries having a substantially reduced charge capacity are connected in series and charged and discharged with the same current, overcharge or overdischarge tends to occur. This is because the capacity that can be fully charged and the capacity that can be completely discharged are small. The characteristics of the battery are remarkably deteriorated by overcharge and overdischarge. For this reason, when the substantial charge capacity of the battery decreases, the battery deteriorates at an accelerated rate. For this reason, in an assembled battery in which a large number of batteries are stored in a holder case, it is important to cool the built-in battery.

  Furthermore, in order to control the charging / discharging by detecting the state of the battery, the power supply device for the vehicle has an electronic circuit that detects the remaining capacity of the battery or detects the temperature of the battery to control the charging / discharging of the battery. Provided. This electronic circuit includes components that generate heat due to Joule heat, such as transistors such as FETs, diodes, and resistors. These heat generating components are mounted together with other components, and the heat generating components are provided with heat radiation fins and stored in the electronic component case. Since the heat-generating component causes a temperature failure at a high temperature, it is cooled by forcibly blowing air to the radiating fin.

Therefore, it is necessary for the vehicle power supply device to cool both the battery built in the battery case and the heat generating component built in the electronic component case by forcibly blowing air. The present applicant has developed a power supply device that uses a blower fan for cooling a battery together with cooling of a heat generating component, and has developed a power supply device that can cool both the battery and the heat generating component with a simple structure. (See Patent Document 1)
JP 2006-35940 A

  In the power supply device of Patent Document 1, the heat dissipating fins of the electronic component case are disposed in an air passage that cools and exhausts the battery. Since this power supply device cools both the battery and the heat radiating fin with the air forcedly blown by the blower fan, it can cool both the battery and the heat radiating fin with a single blower fan. However, in this power supply device, since the heat radiating fins are arranged on the air discharge side after cooling the battery, it is difficult to efficiently cool the heat radiating fins. In addition, the electronic component case and the battery case provided with heat radiation fins are arranged separately, and the air passage is provided so that the air that has cooled the battery passes through the heat radiation fins of the electronic component case. There is also a disadvantage that becomes larger.

  The present invention has been developed for the purpose of solving such drawbacks. An important object of the present invention is to provide a power supply device for a vehicle that can effectively cool both the battery and the heat radiating fin and can be made compact as a whole while having a very simple structure.

The vehicle power supply device of the present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above-described object.
A power supply device for a vehicle is connected to a battery case 2 having a battery storage part 3 for storing a plurality of batteries 1, and the battery storage part 3 of the battery case 2, and air for cooling the battery 1 is supplied to the battery storage part 3. The air that has cooled the battery 1 is exhausted from the battery housing 3, the blower mechanism 5 that forcibly blows air into the air duct 4, and the battery 1 that is housed in the battery housing 3. And an electronic component case 7 containing the electronic component 6 connected thereto. The power supply device includes an outer cover 8 that covers the battery case 2 and provides the air duct 4 between the battery case 2 and an opening window 10 that is provided in the outer cover 8 of the air duct 4. 7 is arranged adjacent to the outer cover 8 of the air duct 4. The outer cover 8 has an inlet of the air duct 4 through which the cooling air flows into the outer cover 8 and an exhaust port through which the cooling air flows out of the outer cover 8. It is provided at a position separated from the outlet. The electronic component case 7 incorporates a heat generating component and is provided with heat radiating fins 9 that are thermally coupled to the heat generating component and cool the heat generating component so as to protrude outside the electronic component case 7. In the power supply device, the heat dissipating fins 9 are protruded into the blower duct 4 from the opening windows 10 provided in the outer cover 8 of the blower duct 4, and the air of the blower duct that blows air for cooling the battery 1 is used. It is cooling.

The power supply device for a vehicle according to the present invention has heat dissipating fins 9 composed of a plurality of plates, and these plates are arranged in the blowing direction so that the air in the blowing duct 4 is smoothly blown along the plates. It is arranged toward.

The power supply device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes an inflow side air duct 4 </ b> A that supplies air to the battery housing unit 3, and a discharge side air duct 4 </ b> B that exhausts air that has cooled the battery 1 in the battery housing unit 3. The radiating fins 9 can be disposed in the blower duct 4B on the discharge side.

The power supply device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes an inflow side air duct 4 </ b> A that supplies air to the battery housing unit 3, and a discharge side air duct 4 </ b> B that exhausts air that has cooled the battery 1 in the battery housing unit 3. The radiating fins 9 can be arranged in the air blowing duct 4A on the inflow side.

  The power supply device of the present invention is characterized in that both the battery and the heat radiation fin can be efficiently cooled while having a very simple structure, and the whole can be made compact. The power supply device according to the present invention has an opening in which the electronic component case is disposed adjacent to the outer cover of the air duct, and the heat dissipating fins thermally coupled to the heat generating components of the electronic component case are provided in the outer cover of the air duct. This is because the radiating fin is also cooled by the air of the air duct that projects air from the window into the air duct and blows air for cooling the battery.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below exemplify a power supply device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the power supply device as follows.

  Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the scope of claims, numbers corresponding to the members shown in the examples are indicated in the “claims” and “means for solving problems” sections. It is added to the members. However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members in the embodiments.

  The power supply device for a vehicle shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is connected to a battery case 2 having a battery housing part 3 for housing a plurality of batteries 1, and the battery housing part 3 of the battery case 2. The air that cools the battery 1 is supplied to the air, or the air duct 4 that exhausts the air that has cooled the battery 1 from the battery housing 3, the air blowing mechanism 5 that forcibly blows air to the air duct 4, and the battery housing 3. And an electronic component case 7 containing an electronic component 6 electrically connected to the battery 1.

  The battery 1 housed in the battery case 2 is housed as a battery module 1A. Battery module 1A is formed by connecting a plurality of unit cells in series and connecting them in a straight line. In the battery module 1A, for example, 5 to 6 unit cells are linearly connected. However, the battery module can connect four or less, or seven or more unit cells. The unit cell is a nickel metal hydride battery. However, the unit cell may be another secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel cadmium battery. In the illustrated battery module 1A, cylindrical batteries are linearly connected to form a columnar shape. The power supply apparatus that houses the battery module 1A in the battery case 2 can increase the output voltage by increasing the number of battery modules 1A. However, the power supply device of the present invention can also be configured such that a battery that is not a battery module, in other words, a plurality of unit cells is housed in a battery case.

  The plurality of battery modules 1A housed in the battery case 2 are connected in series with each other via a bus bar (not shown). However, the battery modules of the battery case can be connected in series and in parallel.

  The power supply device shown in the figure is provided with an inflow side air duct 4 </ b> A that supplies air to the battery case 2 and an exhaust side air duct 4 </ b> B that exhausts air in the battery case 2 outside the battery case 2. The power supply device causes air to flow through the air blowing duct 4 </ b> A on the inflow side → the inside of the battery case 2 → the air blowing duct 4 </ b> B on the discharge side, and cools the battery 1 when passing through the inside of the battery case 2.

  The power supply device of FIG. 1 has an inflow side air duct 4 </ b> A above the battery case 2, and a discharge side air duct 4 </ b> B below the battery case 2. The power supply device blows air from the top to the bottom to cool the battery 1 in the battery case 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply device can be arranged upside down from the state of FIG. 1. That is, the inflow side air duct 4 </ b> A may be provided below the battery case 2, and the discharge side air duct 4 </ b> B may be provided above the battery case 2. The power supply device turned upside down cools the battery 1 in the battery case 2 by blowing air from the bottom to the top. The battery case 2 that blows air from the bottom to the top can smoothly flow air.

  1 to 4 has a lower outer cover 8B fixed to the lower side of the battery case 2, an upper outer cover 8A fixed to the upper side of the battery case 2, and an air duct above and below the battery case 2. 4 is provided.

  The lower outer cover 8B is a base plate that fixes the battery case 2. The lower outer cover 8B is provided with a plurality of rows of convex portions 11 along both sides, and the battery case 2 is mounted on and fixed to the convex portions 11. The lower outer cover 8B shown in the figure is two rows of bent portions 11A provided on both side portions and two rows of convex strips 11B provided on the intermediate portion. The lower outer cover 8 </ b> B has the battery case 2 mounted on and fixed to the convex portion 11, and a discharge-side air duct 4 </ b> B is provided between the lower outer cover 8 </ b> B and the battery case 2. The lower outer cover 8 </ b> B adjusts the vertical width of the discharge-side air duct 4 </ b> B with the height of the convex portion 11. Although not shown, the power supply device in which the discharge-side air duct is provided between the battery case and the lower outer cover gradually increases the height of the convex portion in the direction of air flow so that the air flows. The discharge side air duct can be widened.

  The upper outer cover 8A is a cover case that covers the upper surface of the battery case 2 and the outside of the end plate 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, and an air blowing duct 4A on the inflow side is provided between the battery case 2 and the upper cover 8A. ing. The power supply device fixes the electronic component case 7 adjacent to the upper outer cover 8A. In the illustrated power supply apparatus, an electronic component case 7 is fixed on an upper outer cover 8 </ b> A, and the electronic component case 7 is fixed adjacent to the outside of the outer cover 8. The outer cover 8 opens an opening window 10 for projecting the radiating fins 9 provided in the electronic component case 7 into the blower duct 4.

  The electronic component case 7 detects the voltage of each battery module 1A to detect the remaining capacity, detects the temperature of the battery module 1A, controls the charge / discharge current based on the remaining capacity and temperature, or The electronic component 6 which implement | achieves a protection circuit is incorporated. The electronic component case 7 incorporates heat-generating components such as transistors, diodes and resistors. The heat generating component generates heat due to the Joule heat of the flowing current. In order to cool the heat generating component, the heat dissipating fin 9 is fixed by being thermally coupled to the heat generating component.

  The heat radiating fins 9 are provided so as to protrude outside the electronic component case 7. In the illustrated electronic component case 7, an opening 13 is provided on the bottom surface, and the radiating fins 9 are protruded downward from the opening 13. The radiating fin 9 shown in the figure has a plurality of plates fixed to the surface of the base portion 14 in parallel. The entire heat dissipating fin 9 is integrally formed of aluminum. The heat dissipating fins 9 protrude from the opening window 10 provided in the outer cover 8 </ b> A above the air duct 4 into the air duct 4 and are cooled by the air of the air duct 4 that blows air that cools the battery 1. . The heat dissipating fins 9 disposed in the air duct 4 direct the air in the air duct 4 along the plates with the plurality of plates directed in the air blowing direction. The opening window 10 of the upper outer cover 8 </ b> A is opened at a portion where the heat dissipating fins 9 protrude from the air duct 4. In the power supply device shown in FIG. 1, the heat radiating fins 9 are disposed in the air blowing duct 4 </ b> A. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the power supply device can also dissipate the radiating fins 9 in the discharge duct 4 </ b> B.

  End plates 12 positioned on both end faces of the battery module 1 </ b> A stored in the battery storage unit 3 are fixed to the battery case 2. The end plate 12 is formed of an insulating material such as plastic, and bus bars fixed to electrode terminals provided at both ends of the battery module 1A are arranged at fixed positions. The bus bar is a metal plate that connects adjacent battery modules 1A in series. The end plate 12 is fixed to the battery module 1 </ b> A by fixing the bus bar to the battery module 1 </ b> A by screwing the bus bar.

  The battery case 2 shown in FIG. 1 accommodates the battery modules 1A in a horizontal and parallel posture and arranged in three stages up and down. The battery case 2 has an opposing wall 16 between an inflow-side partition 15A provided between the inflow-side air duct 4A and a discharge-side partition 15B provided between the discharge-side air duct 4B. The battery storage unit 3 is partitioned into a plurality of closed chambers 17 by the facing wall 16, and the batteries 1 are stored in a plurality of stages in the closed chamber 17. The battery case 2 shown in the figure accommodates battery modules 1A in three stages inside a pair of opposing walls 16, and the inflow side and the discharge side of the pair of opposing walls 16 are formed by an inflow side partition wall 15A and a discharge side partition wall 15B. Blocked. That is, a closed chamber 17 that is not sealed is formed by the pair of opposing walls 16 and the partition wall 15, and the battery modules 1 </ b> A are accommodated in three stages in the closed chamber 17.

  In the battery case 2 shown in these drawings, an air port 18 is opened in the inflow side partition wall 15A and the discharge side partition wall 15B in order to blow the cooling air to the battery module 1A stored in the battery storage unit 3. is doing. The battery case 2 shown in the figure has an inflow side air port 18A in the upper inflow side partition wall 15A, and a discharge side air port 18B in the lower discharge side partition wall 15B. The air flows from the inflow side air duct 4A through the inflow side air port 18A provided in the inflow side partition wall 15A into the closed chamber 17, and the air that has cooled the battery 1 in the closed chamber 17 is discharged from the discharge side. It passes through the discharge side air port 18B provided in the partition wall 15B and is discharged to the discharge side air duct 4B.

  The air inlets 18A on the inflow side are opened on both sides of the closed chamber 17 and blow air that flows into the inside between the battery module 1A at the uppermost stage and the facing wall 16. The inflow side partition wall 15 </ b> A has an air port 18 opened directly above the inner surface of the facing wall 16. The air port 18 blows air along the inner surface of the opposing wall 16 and allows the air to pass between the uppermost battery module 1A of the opposing wall 16.

  In the illustrated battery case 2, the inflow side air ports 18 </ b> A are opened on both sides of the closed chamber 17, but the air ports do not necessarily have to be opened directly above the inner surface of the opposing wall as shown in the figure. . For example, the opening can be made to be located slightly in the center from directly above the inner surface of the opposing wall. However, if the inflow port is opened at the center of the inflow wall, air may supercool the uppermost battery module more than other battery modules. The uppermost battery module 1 </ b> A is located on both sides of the battery module 1 </ b> A and increases the amount of heat exchange in the upper blast gap approaching the opposing wall 16, but does not increase the amount of heat exchange in other portions. The air that cools the uppermost battery module 1A has a lower temperature than the air that cools the other battery modules 1A, and efficiently cools the battery modules 1A with a narrow air gap.

  If the air port on the inflow side is opened in the center of the closed chamber, the air that flows into the battery case from the air port flows along the upper half surface of the uppermost battery module in the figure, and the battery Cool the module. The uppermost battery module is cooled only by the air gap between the opposing walls formed on both sides without cooling the upper surface with air, and the cooling balance of the other battery modules is made uniform. In order to achieve this, the air inlet on the inflow side is not opened so as to be located in the center of the closed chamber, but even if it is ubiquitously opened from directly above the opposing wall to the center, the position of the air mouth Is opened directly above the inner surface of the opposing wall and outside the central portion of the closed chamber.

  The discharge-side air port 18A opens to the discharge-side partition wall 15B so as to be located at the center of the closed chamber 17. In the battery case 2 shown in the figure, the air discharged from the closed chamber 17 is blown along the lower part of the battery module 1A disposed at the lowermost stage to efficiently cool the lowermost battery module 1A. It is. The discharge-side air port 18B, which is located in the center of the closed chamber 17 and is opened to the discharge-side partition wall 15B, distributes the air that has been diverted to both sides of the battery module 1A along the lower half of the lowermost battery module 1A. The air is blown, collected in the central portion of the closed chamber 17 and discharged from the air port 18B on the discharge side.

  Furthermore, the battery case 2 shown in the figure has a protruding strip 19 protruding from the inner surface of the opposing wall 16 in order to control the blowing state of the blowing gap between the battery module 1A of each stage and the opposing wall 16. The ridges 19 are provided so as to protrude between the valleys of the battery module 1 </ b> A disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. Further, the protruding height of the ridges 19 to the inner surface is higher in the lee than in the lee, so that the area of the air gap of the battery module 1A in the lee, that is, the contact area with the battery module 1A is increased, or The gap is narrowed.

  The amount of heat exchange by which the air cools the battery module 1A varies depending on the temperature difference between the air and the battery module 1A, the flow velocity of the air, and the contact area between the blown air. The amount of heat exchange decreases as the temperature difference between air and the battery module 1A decreases. Therefore, when the temperature of the air increases and the temperature difference of the battery module 1A decreases, the amount of heat exchange decreases. When the temperature of the air becomes leeward, the heat of the battery module 1A is removed and the air temperature rises. Therefore, in the leeward battery module 1 </ b> A, the air temperature increases and the heat exchange amount decreases.

  The amount of heat exchange can be increased by increasing the flow rate of air, increasing the contact area with the blown air. The protruding height of the ridge 19 specifies the flow velocity and contact area of the air blown to the surface of the battery module 1A. When the protruding height of the ridges 19 increases, the ridges 19 approach the surface of the battery module 1A and narrow the air gap between the battery modules 1A. Moreover, the protrusion 19 with a high protrusion height also widens the area of the air gap formed between the battery module 1A. Accordingly, the temperature of the air gradually increases, and the decrease in the heat exchange amount due to the temperature is corrected by the ridges 19 to uniformly cool the entire battery module 1A.

  The opposing wall 16 of the battery case 2 in FIG. 1 is provided with a small first protrusion 19A between the uppermost battery module 1A and the middle battery module 1A, and the middle battery module 1A and the lowermost battery module 1A. A second ridge 19B is provided between the two. The second ridge 19 is higher than the first ridge 19 and is closer to the surface of the battery module 1 </ b> A than the first ridge 19.

  Further, in the illustrated battery case 2, both side surfaces of the second ridge 19B are curved surfaces along the surface of the opposing battery module 1A. This ridge 19 provides a ventilation gap between the battery module 1A and can smoothly blow air. Further, the battery case 2 shown in the figure has a curved portion on the inner surface of the partition wall 15B on the discharge side and facing the battery module 1A, and this portion has a shape along the surface of the lower surface of the battery module 1A. The counter wall 16 is used together. However, in the battery case, it is not always necessary to use the partition on the discharge side for the opposing wall. The partition on the discharge side has a flat shape, and a curved portion is provided on the inner surface of the lower portion of the opposing wall and facing the battery module. You can also. As described above, the battery case 2 having the curved portion can blow air along the surface of the battery module 1 </ b> A, collect the air at the discharge side air port 18 </ b> B, and exhaust the air to the outside. For this reason, the lowermost battery module 1A can be efficiently cooled, the decrease in the heat exchange amount due to the temperature rise of the air can be corrected, and the temperature difference of the battery module 1A can be reduced.

  The power supply device that houses the battery modules 1A in three stages in the battery case 2 does not necessarily need to be provided with the first protrusions provided between the uppermost battery module and the lowermost battery module. This is because cooling can be performed by providing a ventilation gap with the second protrusion on the leeward half of the middle battery module. The air gap provided here is wider than the air gap provided on both sides of the lowermost battery module to increase the contact area with the air, or the interval is narrower, and is wider than the air gap of the lowermost stage. This is because the uppermost battery module 1A, the middle battery module 1A, and the lowermost battery module 1A can be cooled uniformly by narrowing the contact area with the air to make the contact area with the air narrower or widen the interval.

  In the battery case 2 described above, a plurality of air ports 18 are opened in the partition wall 15 between the air duct 4 and the battery storage unit 3 in the air flow direction in the air duct 4. Air is passed through the air port 18, and air is blown from the blower duct 4 to the battery storage unit 3 or from the battery storage unit 3 to the blower duct 4, and the battery 1 in each closed chamber 17 of the battery storage unit 3. Cool down.

1 is a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the power supply device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the power supply device shown in FIG. 2. It is the perspective view which removed the upper cover on the power supply device shown in FIG. It is a bottom perspective view of the upper outer cover. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the power supply device for vehicles concerning the other Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Battery 1A ... Battery module 2 ... Battery case 3 ... Battery accommodating part 4 ... Air duct 4A ... Air duct on the inflow side
4B: Discharge-side air duct 5 ... Air blow mechanism 6 ... Electronic component 7 ... Electronic component case 8 ... Outer cover 8A ... Upper cover
8B ... Lower outer cover 9 ... Radiating fin 10 ... Opening window 11 ... Convex part 11A ... Bent part
11B ... Projections 12 ... End plate 13 ... Opening part 14 ... Base part 15 ... Partition 15A ... Inlet side partition
15B: Discharge-side partition wall 16 ... Opposite wall 17 ... Closed chamber 18 ... Air port 18A ... Inflow side air port
18B ... Air port on the discharge side 19 ... Round 19A ... First convex
19B ... Second ridge

Claims (4)

A battery case (2) having a battery storage part (3) for storing a plurality of batteries (1) and a battery storage part (3) of the battery case (2) are connected to the battery storage part (3). The air duct (4) for supplying air for cooling (1) or exhausting the air that has cooled the battery (1) from the battery housing (3), and the air blowing mechanism for forcibly blowing air to the air duct (4) ( 5) and an electronic component case (7) containing an electronic component (6) electrically connected to the battery (1) stored in the battery storage section (3). There,
Furthermore, an outer cover (8) that covers the battery case (2) and that provides an air duct (4) between the battery case (2) ,
The outer cover (8) has an inlet of the air duct (4) through which cooling air flows into the outer cover (8) and an exhaust port through which cooling air flows out of the outer cover (8). inlet of the air duct (4) (8), or is set only the opening window (10) at a position spaced from the exhaust port,
The electronic component case (7) is disposed adjacent to the outer cover (8) of the air duct (4), and the electronic component case (7) incorporates a heat generating component and is thermally coupled to the heat generating component to generate heat. The heat dissipating fins (9) for cooling the parts are provided so as to protrude outside the electronic part case (7).
The heat dissipating fin (9) protrudes from the opening window (10) provided in the outer cover (8) of the air duct (4) into the air duct (4) and blows air for cooling the battery (1). A power supply device for a vehicle that is cooled by the air of the blowing duct (4). The radiating fin (9) is composed of a plurality of plates,
2. The power supply device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plate is arranged in a blowing direction so that air in the blower duct (4) is smoothly blown along the plate. 3. An inflow side air duct (4A) for supplying air to the battery compartment (3) and an exhaust side air duct (4B) for exhausting the air that has cooled the battery (1) in the battery compartment (3) The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat dissipating fins (9) are disposed in the discharge duct (4B). An inflow side air duct (4A) for supplying air to the battery compartment (3) and an exhaust side air duct (4B) for exhausting the air that has cooled the battery (1) in the battery compartment (3) The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat dissipating fins (9) are disposed in the inflow side air duct (4A).

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